King on King

Author Stephen King has a reputation for the big book. Not big as in Tom Wolfe-esque, “the way we live now” big, but big as in “this book is literally, physically huge.” It’s a reputation that doesn’t seem to bother him. King’s latest, Under the Dome, is his third longest novel ever.

King talked to TIME about his top 10 biggest books, reflecting on the circumstances under which they were written and the critical reception that they received. The list of books and their page counts was supplied by King’s office and refers to the American hardcover editions. It does not include books co-written with other authors or any of the seven parts of King’s Dark Tower series, which he typically considers one long book, à la The Lord of the Rings.